Abstract Details

Title New Revelations about Hans Berger, Father of the EEG, and His Ties to the Third Reich

Topic History of Neurology

Presentation(s) S57 - (-)

Poster/Presentation
Number 006

Objective

Background Berger was a German neurologist and head of the neurology and psychiatry department at the University of Jena. He discovered the human EEG in 1924 and many normal and abnormal EEG rhythms. Several textbooks and articles state that Berger was forced into retirement in 1938 by the Nazis because he was at odds with the regime, and that he later committed suicide because of this.

Design/Methods We collected evidence from the archives of the Ministry for State Security (Staatsicherheitsdienst, or Stasi) of the former German Democratic Republic, the State Archive in Jena, Berger's statement to the Jena Medical Faculty in 1933, and referenced German language secondary historical texts published in recent years regarding the involvement of the Jena Neurology Faculty in the Third Reich.

Results Berger knew well in advance of his retirement and served on the selection committee for his Nazi successor, neurologist Berthold Kihn, who was an architect in the Nazi euthanasia murders. Berger financially supported the Nazi SS with an unknown sum of money, and was a willing participant on Nazi genetic health higher courts that reviewed appeals for forced sterilizations of neuropsychiatric patients, being part of rejecting at least 6 appeals. He committed suicide because of depression, not because he was at odds with the Nazis.

Conclusions Berger's motivations for collaborating with the Nazis are unclear, but may be related to avoiding harassment, indoctrination by Nazi ideology, or less likely, career opportunism. His actions stand in contrast to other German neuropsychiatrists who at least partially resisted the Nazis, and hopefully will serve as an example to future generations of neurologists regarding the danger of allowing one's professional standing to be used as a tool to support the policies of tyranny and oppression.

Authors/Disclosures
Lawrence A. Zeidman, MD, FAAN (Endeavor Health Northshore Department of Neurology) PRESENTER	Dr. Zeidman has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Janssen. Dr. Zeidman has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Zeidman has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Argenx. Dr. Zeidman has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving as an Expert Witness for Smith Blake Hill LLC. The institution of Dr. Zeidman has received research support from Octapharma. Dr. Zeidman has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care.
James L. Stone, MD, FACS (New York Harbor Veterans Hospital)	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Jean-Michel Gracies, MD (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)	No disclosure on file

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